


Sacrifice

by AsgardianTeaCup, TricksterGod



Category: Marvel, Thor - Fandom
Genre: Do not listen to the OST for Dark World if you read this, Gen, M/M, Or do if you want to hurt more, Slight spoilers at the end for Thor Dark World
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-19
Updated: 2013-11-19
Packaged: 2018-01-02 01:46:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1051099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsgardianTeaCup/pseuds/AsgardianTeaCup, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TricksterGod/pseuds/TricksterGod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sort of follow up to AsgardianTeaCup's fic Into The Dark. </p><p>A mother's love knows no bounds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sacrifice

There had been no way to stop it....and in the end, at the end...that was what hurt her the most. Had she stopped Magnus in this attempt, he would have succeeded in the next. She stood beside Heimdall at the very edge of the observatory in the BiFrost, the dark-skinned god's eyes closed for a moment, a subtle flinch rolled through him and that was it. It had happened. Cold swept over her skin, touching deep inside her and she too closed her eyes, biting back a sob that threatened to burst from her. 

"My Queen." The soft, low rumble of the Guardian's voice caused her eyes to open, her gaze to shift to him, standing staunch and still beside her, the golden irises of his eyes meeting hers. "I am sorry." He spoke again in a comforting tone, bowing his head to her. "Not nearly as sorry as I am, Good Heimdall..but thank you." Turning from him she made her way out of the observatory and onto the glistening quartz of the bridge, tilting her head back and looking up into the galaxy-swirled skies above Asgard, feeling the searing burn of tears and the pain in her heart. Her son was gone, she had never gotten the chance to tell him goodbye, she hadn't even been there and now...

Taking in a long, shuddering breath, she made her way back to the palace, shrouded in a silence she could not bring herself to break.

\---------------------------------------

There were none she would allow to see her. Thor and her husband in turn came to her chamber door to inquire after her, but she merely turned them away with as few words as possible, so deep was her grief, her utter guilt at what she had failed to do. 

It was not until the second night of her despondency, that her solution, the solution to ending her sadness and righting the wrongs of the past fortnight, slapped her in the face. Wasting no time at all, the AllMother stole down to the royal stables, slipping past the noble Sleipnir, dozing in his stall to her own mount's stall. Carefully, she took the horse's reins in her hands and lead her from the stables, walking until they were far enough away, that Frigga felt comfortable enough to slide into position, before setting off for the Observatory of the BiFrost.

Heimdall was silent when the Queen entered, breathing heavily from the hard ride, though she maintained her composure, walking to the front of the Observatory, staring out into the star-lit heavens for a moment, while she regained her breath. Nothing was said for the space of several seconds that seemed to drag on longer than the Guardian thought possible. There was something weighing on the AllMother's mind and he needed not to ask what it was. 

"Name your destination, My Queen and I shall send you there." Frigga's lips twitched upwards for a fraction of a second as she spoke, "You would not question my actions, Gatekeeper?" She cast her glance in the direction of Heimdall, watching him carefully as he too, turned towards her. "No, My Queen, it is not my place. As citizen of Asgard, I place my trust in you and all you do."

"Not even as a friend Heimdall?" She continued, returning her eyes to the dark, colorful expanse of sky before them. 

As...friend? This felt unexpected, though he greatly valued the sentiment. "A good friend knows when to question a grieving heart. And when not to. As long as you are safe My Queen, I may feel better in opening the bridge to you." 

"I am more than safe, Good Heimdall...I give you my promise that I am." Nodding at her words, Heimdall lifted his blade, Hofund and slid it home into the console of the BiFrost, before long a great whirring sound filled the room. "Your destination, milady?"

"Niflheim."  
\--------------------------------------------

The terrain was dismal, cragged rock and a chilled wind took precedence over anything else she could see in the eerie bluish half-light of the world. Her destination was more than obvious to her eyes, in the very center of the land was a raised throne of hewn rock, similar to that of the area around it, but it had the shine of volcanic rock, more native to that of Midgard, more so to that of Muspelheim. 

It was not until she was more than halfway to the throne of Niflheim that the most disconcerting part of that realm came to her realization. 

Silence. 

It was completely silent. 

For being the realm of the dead, Frigga fully expected the low mournful sounds of the souls that dwelt there. Or was that just the nightmare of a child speaking? Drawing the folds of her heavy cloak around her, she continued on her way across the arid landscape until she found herself before the dais and throne, seated on which was the Queen of the Realm, of Niflheim and all it beheld; Hela, only daughter of Loki, draped in layers of black and deepest emerald. Just like her father.

"Grandmother." The voice was soft as silk, though one could feel, for sure and certain, the death and danger that it held. "What a surprise...it has only been...."

"Centuries, Hela, yes....far too long has it been since I have seen you. My most sincerest of apologies." Frigga bowed her head slightly forward to the seated woman, her hands coming before her, folding with ease. 

"Easily forgiven, Grandmother Queen." Hela spoke with a raised, black gloved hand, a smile tugging at her dark painted lips as she leaned forward a little, watching the golden Queen carefully. "You did not come for a familial visit, though I assure you, I appreciate the moment of it."

"I am here for the soul of your father, Hela. And that of his loved one."

Hela's light smile broke into a near grin. "Loved one? Father loved many and thoroughly, of which do you speak?"

"The one who took his life, when Loki's ended."

The grin dropped and Hela rose to her feet, the ends of dress like smoking tendrils that draped around her legs. "Magnus...Of course...but the worth of his soul...and what you are wanting to give me, Grandmother...Yes I know what you are planning to do but he is not...." Hela broke off, watching the expression on the AllMother's face. "...For both of them you would..." Frigga nodded solemnly, a smile on her face all the while. "I would, Hela, I would." 

Lifting a hand and seemingly gesturing behind Frigga, Hela sighed very lightly. "Perhaps you should speak with this Magnus..before you make your choice..." Turning Frigga caught sight of the figure of the young policeman, looking slightly confused, even a little scared at his sudden summoning. "...Magnus.."

The confused detective recognized the woman almost instantly. He took a couple steps toward her."Frigga I'm sorry. Please you must understand there was nothing more I could do." For a moment she closed her eyes, sighing softly. "Time. All I needed was a little more time Magnus...I am sorry that I did not think of this sooner." His look of confusion returns. Thought of what? "Frigga...I don't understand. Thought of what?"

Closing the space between them, Frigga took both of his hands in hers, giving them a gentle squeeze. "Would you like to see Loki again, Magnus?" His eyes widened. He would give anything to see him again. That was why he gave up his life so willingly. In the hopes of seeing him in whatever afterlife there was. If there even was one. "You know I would love that more than anything. But he's not here."

She had thought as much. "Then you will...you will, I promise you. You would...do anything to see him...yes?" He nodded, his actions becoming more and more desperate. "Yes Frigga. I would do anything to see him again. I love him, I can't live without him." Taking a deep breath, her smile grew slightly, a lump threatening to form in her throat. "Then you will let me do what I must...yes?"

The realization of what she meant by her words caused his eyes to grow wide. She couldn't possibly mean what he thought. She couldn't possibly be giving herself up for them. He couldn't let her do that. He wouldn't let her give herself up for his own selfish needs. "Frigga you can't. I won't let you do this."

The look of realization in his face hurt her more than she thought it would. Slowly, she released his hands. "Magnus, I know well what I am doing...I have made my decision and-" 

"It matters not, Son of Martin." Hela spoke, cutting off the AllMother's last words. "There is no stopping this endeavor of hers, though I must say....I cannot agree to the terms you mean to set." 

For a beat, Frigga was silent. "Then...when I am ready, when the sun of Asgard sets on my life, I will come here, and dwell in your halls, rather than those of Valhalla." 

Hela frowned, her gaze passing over Magnus and Frigga as she folded her arms across her chest. "...I accept your terms." Helplessly he watched the events unfold in front of him. No, he couldn't let this happen. "Please Frigga...Ask to speak with your son."

"NO." Her tone was harsher than she had intended and she instantly regretted it. "He must not know of this. Magnus. You must not tell him. I beg you not to." Magnus jumped slightly at her sudden harshness. He took a couple steps toward her. "Frigga...I made my choice to move on. Loki would never forgive himself if you did this."

"Thus why you mustn't tell him. I cannot bear to out live my son. And I cannot bear to see you apart from him." Turning away from Magnus, Frigga looked on towards Hela. "Do it. Return them to Asgard, hale and healthy as they should be." Hela hesitated, but the look on her grandmother's face spurred her on. Raising her hand above her head, she looked to Magnus, speaking, "Magnus Martinsson. I release you from your soul-prison here in Niflheim with a warning...should you return to my world once more, by your own hand, there is naught in the Nine that will release you from my grasp again. Is that understood?"

Magnus was desperate. He looked at Frigga with pleading eyes. "Frigga even if you do this we can't be together. He belongs in Asgard. I'm human...I can't live there with him." He pleaded to her. He fell short of dropping on his knees and begging. 

"You can...and you will be. I will make sure of it...even if I must command him to take post on Midgard....it will be done."

He sighed. He now knew where Loki got his stubbornness from. "You know you can't put off me losing him forever right?" That was all he could muster to say. One day he would die, he would grow old and die and Loki would stay there, he would keep living like he was meant to while Magnus and his mortal body left this world.

A ghost of a smile curled her lips. "Can't I...?" Sighing he let out a breathy chuckle. The more time he spent with this woman the more he saw Loki. The more he realized he really did take after her. "Thank you...Thank you for giving us more time." Frigga bowed her head to him, still ever smiling. "There is no need to thank me...but you are welcome, Magnus.." 

"Then you accept what you have been told, Magnus?" Hela inquired, watching the two before her patiently. Magnus closed his eyes for a moment, fighting back whatever tears were threatening to fall from his eyes and turned to face Hela. "Yes I do."

"I thought as much." Hela commented, tilting her head back to look at the ink-dark skies above them. A blue light formed around Magnus, shimmering softly like star-light, his body dissolving into particles of the same light and ascending into the air, hovering there for a moment, almost as if waiting. 

"Shall I call Father to you?" Hela asked, though she knew well what the answer would be. "No...No I cannot burden him with the knowledge of my actions. It would only taint what time he has with Magnus now. I cannot do that to him." Solemnly Hela nodded, raising her hand once more as a ball of shimmering pale green light, similar to that of Magnus, though this time with no physical form to dissolve from. "You are free Father..." She whispered to the orb, before sending it off in the same direction of the other. 

For a moment, the two women, Queens of their respective realms, watched the green sphere meet the blue one, still hovering over them, before they both took off through the shroud of dark clouds, towards Asgard. "...Grandmother...is this truly what you want?" Eyes on the clouds, the AllMother nodded. "Loki's happiness is that of my own...Even if I were to depart this world tomorrow, knowing that he is with someone who loves him...that he is not alone...that gives me more happiness than I think I can handle."

"...Then I will see you soon, Grandmother?" Hela ventured, dropping her eyes to Frigga. 

A sudden flash crossed her mind's eye, a memory? No, a foretelling she had no chance of halting, a coldness in her bones, a deep pain in her side as fleeting as the prophesy itself had been...

"Sooner than you would think, my darling grandchild...sooner than you think..."


End file.
